


Crimson Fireworks and Christmas Mornings

by accio_echo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Divorce, F/M, HEA, M/M, Marriage, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-15 09:53:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16060673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accio_echo/pseuds/accio_echo
Summary: Hermione Granger has a great career, good friends and a decent life. What happens when someone from her past throws a wrench in her plans? TheoxHermione with background HarryxDraco.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi hello! This was my first ever fanfic, and is now complete. I'm in the process of moving all of my fics from ffnet over to this platform, so I'll be uploading all of this tonight. This fic hold a particularly soft spot in my heart for a lot of reasons - it was the first to show me the highs and lows of fandom (it was originally a Draco/Hermione) and also the first to show me how hard this actually is. Thank you for reading, I hope you love it as I do. 
> 
> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros Studios. All original characters and plot are my own, I gain nothing financially from this work.

**BAM**!

Hermione slammed her open palm flat onto her desk in her cubicle within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and muttered a few colorful curse words under her breath.

At that same moment, Anthony Goldstein shot up from his chair, scrambling for his wand, only to realize that it was his partner's temper that had roused him from his dream including the Patil twins and a can of muggle whipped cream, and not in fact, an actual emergency.

"Granger," he said with a grin "if you stare at that report any harder, we'll both be cleaning up ashes. You know how unstable your magic gets when you're frustrated. Come on, pack up your things and I'll escort you to the Floos."

"I'm trying to find a way to smooth over the fact that  _your_  parolee broke down the wards at the Louvre, Goldstein" she said his name in a sneer "The Louvre! Or have you forgotten all about the fifty muggles he traumatized with his antics. One man had a forty minute conversation with a  _live sphynx_. And my magic is not unstable you wanker." Hermione huffed as Anthony chuckled and reached for her hand.

"Hermy, love, my point is that it's two in the morning and this can't be fixed with your sheer power of will. They were ancient wards to begin with, the French and British Ministries don't exactly get along, and once that one has his mind set, I don't think even the Minister himself could undo the ensuing mischief. So how's about we stop with the death glares at the innocent little papers, and head home?"

If Anthony had bothered to actually  _look_  at Hermione during his condescending diatribe, he would have noticed that the "death glares" she was sending at her desk were now trained directly in between his stupid, dreamy, ocean-blue eyes. He also would have noticed the tell-tale flush of pure fury creeping up her neck as she readied to rip her hand from his clutches. Had he been paying attention, Anthony would have noticed these things. He did not, however, because Anthony Goldstein was a  _very_  stupid man.

"DON'T call me "love", Anthony. You don't get to. Not anymore." Hermione hid her hands underneath her desk so that he couldn't see the sparks crackling from her fingertips due to her surge of hostile emotions towards his person. Her magic really wasn't unstable, it just surged a little when she saw blinding white in fury, the arsehole.

"Are you still on about that? It  _done and over_ , and we agreed to let bygones be bygones for work's sake. And besides, you were the one who –"

**SMACK**!

The second resounding silence fell around the echo of Hermione Granger's hand connecting with a solid surface as an angry red mark appeared on Anthony Goldstein's flawless left cheek.

"How dare you?" she seethed, " 'That' was four days ago! And the 'that' that I'm referring to, in case you've forgotten, is the 'that' that I walked in on between you and Lavender Brown. IN OUR BED!" With a final slam of folders on her desk, Hermione grabbed her cloak and headed for the door. "And  _YOU_  decided to let bygones be bygones at work!  _I_  filed for a partner change!" She nearly screamed as she slammed the door – shattering glass being the only response she received from the office.

_Well that was a good a way as any to let him know about the switch._  Hermione thought as she pressed her forehead against the cool steel doors of the lift. She was loathe to admit it, but Sheep Shit Goldstein (as Ginny had fondly nicknamed him) was right about more than a few things. It was Hermione who had wanted to keep their relationship quiet, so as not to lose out on a partnership forged over a year of training and three years of working side by side in the field. Anthony was smart, even by Ravenclaw standards, and was cool in a crisis, which complimented Hermione's more emotional approach quite well. That didn't stop Hermione from referring to Anthony as her boyfriend to her family, or even from moving in with him hoping for a sparkly something to adorn her left hand as the year came to a close. It was not, however, the ending of their relationship that had truly upset Hermione. Nor that he had cheated on her. What had truly been the reason for Hermione's near-hysterics was the look of pure and unadulterated smug success on Lavender's face as Hermione was instantly transported to sixteen years old in the Gryffindor common room as Lavender sank her claws into another important man in Hermione's life.

"And I fucking hate being called 'Hermy'" she muttered as she stepped out of the Floo and into the flat she now shared with Ginny Weasley and Pansy Parkinson.

"Who the hell calls you Hermy- _oh_. And how is Sheep Shit?" Ginny grinned as she poked her head over the bannister from the loft.

"That is a vile nickname." Pansy's voice rang through the apartment as she stepped out of Ginny's bedroom.

"One he worked hard for." Hermione snarked "I've spent the last seven hours trying to smooth over relations with the French Ministry thanks to your silver and green blooded brother in arms. I need ice cream." she whinged, quite spectacularly for a war-hero.

"Smooth the what - Hermy, my little petunia, all you need to do is owl home once in awhile and you will have all of your problems solved. " Pansy said, all too smugly for Hermione's liking.

"They let a  _sphynx_  near a  _muggle_  Pansy! And he..."

"…is now set up in  _quite_  the digs, and won't be a problem for your bushy little head to worry about tomorrow" she said in a sing-song voice with a condescending head pat.

"You are utterly ridiculous." Hermione finally huffed, admitting defeat. She would never say it out loud, but she rather liked that Ginny and Pansy had become friends, and eventually roommates. After Harry and Draco had gotten together, both girls had gone into a bit of a tailspin - finding solace in each other and their short lived hatred of Seekers.

"Honey, you pronounced adorable wrong." Hermione rolled her eyes, but was quickly distracted by a bark of laughter coming from her living room.  _He's not here. He is NOT in my living room. This is NOT happening._ Hermione poked her head around the corner, and was furious, but not at all surprised, to see the Italian portion of her problematic day sitting in her reading chair by the window.

"Evening, Granger!" Blaise Zabini snickered as he finished his drink.

"Did I fail to mention that Blaise showed up here in a panic after the Louvre?" Pansy said in an even tone, ever the picture of innocence as she handed Hermione some ice cream in a dish.

_This better be chocolate,_ she thought to herself before pointing the spoon at Blaise. "You, are a menace. Get out of my chair."

"Granger, you mean to tell  _me_ , one of your oldest and dearest friends," Hermione snorted in response "that I must leave this humble abode? That's absolutely ludicrous!" Blaise threw his hands up as he followed Hermione as she stomped through the flat to her bedroom.

"Honey," she said sarcastically "you pronounced logical wrong."

Blaise growled at her now closed bedroom door and began to frantically pantomime to Pansy and Ginny from across the flat, much to the duo's amusement.

"Blaise, I can hear you waving your arms around like a lunatic." Hermione huffed as she opened the door. "I don't know what kind of oldest and dearest friends you have, but mine don't make me do an entire day's worth of work, with my  _ex-boyfriend_  for no reason."

Looking wounded, Hermione was certain that she heard Blaise mutter something along the lines of  _I had a reason_. Glaring at him once more, she picked up her ice cream bowl and headed directly for her chair.

"Blaise, I'll warn you now that I'm about to start a rousing and detailed account of the fight I've just had with Goldstein. There will be tears, and probably some snot, so…"

"Alright, alright." Blaise said, swooping in to kiss Hermione on her head, and to steal a spoonful of ice cream. "I know when I'm not wanted. I'd say I was sorry for all of the work you did today, but I figured a clean break from...what do we call him?  _Sheep Shit_? was for the best. Besides, I've a friend who seems to have a vested interest in the work you do. Wanted to see what your response time looked like." he said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Any friend of yours is an annoyance of mine, Blaise, you know that! Why didn't you just say something?" she said, smacking his hand as he went for her spoon a second time.

With a salute and his lips pursed into an air kiss Blaise descended the stairs of the loft, only to be met with a fiery red-head with hands on her hips. "What exactly, was that?" Ginny hissed. "You practically told her he was asking about her!"

Hushing her, and reaching around her to the door handle he said, "She needs to be ready for it, Gin. He wants to see her. She owes him that, I'd think."

"She owes him nothing Blaise, you don't even believe that. Why work so hard so that they'll potentially run into each other?" she narrowed her eyes into slits as he pushed her to the side.

"Because...because he's Theo, Ginny. That's reason enough." he said, closing the door behind him with a soft click.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros Studios. All original characters and plot are my own, I gain nothing financially from this work.

Hermione Granger was having one of those rare, truly wonderful days. Her department had yet to assign her a new partner, so her entire workload had been tackled with her usual efficiency, and she hadn't had to stay late once all week waiting for someone else to complete their paperwork. Her "men are scum" ice cream fest with Ginny and Pansy had been a rousing success, and she was feeling much better about the entire Anthony ordeal. Speaking of Anthony, he'd had to take over the Louvre fiasco solo because Blaise was his parolee, and having Hermione on the case now that they were no longer partners was considered a conflict of interest. Hermione snickered to herself as she punched the lift button for the Ministry lobby, feeling smug that Anthony was inconvenienced at his own doing for once in his rotten life.

_Oh well_ , she mentally shrugged as she walked to the apparition point. She was meeting Ron at the Three Broomsticks and was already late – even by Ron's standards. As she bustled down the street Hermione couldn't help but be taken in by the gorgeous October day. It was cool, but not cold and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  _Add in some chirping birds and you've got a bleeding sonnet, Granger. Please kill me._  Hermione wasn't entirely sure when her inner monologue had started to sound like Malfoy, but it did. If she had to guess, it was probably sometime during their third year at Hogwarts when their academic rivalry had been at an all-time high. She barely noticed anymore and couldn't say that she minded, really. His sniveling drawl kept her motivated to always best his smarmy third year self, even though it was all in her head and they had been friends since long before he and Harry had moved in together.

Before she was even through the door of the Three Broomsticks, a booming "There's my girl!" spread through the bar and Hermione was swept up into the biggest bear hug she had ever received.

"Ronald, honestly, put me down this instant!" she squawked, but her good day combined with seeing Rom for the first time in nearly a year made it difficult to hide her grin. She loved both of her best friends the same, but Harry would always be more brother than friend to Hermione, and she would always have a soft spot for Ronald Weasley. Their romance had been short-lived, but better than she thought she'd ever deserved. They'd separated as friends, both too wrapped up in their careers, with the agreement that if they were both still single at 40, they'd try again.

"Well that's quite the Hermione Granger smile if ever I saw one, is that all for me or is there something else I need to know about?" Ron said with a cheeky grin as he set her on her feet. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed her until just now.

"Just a good day," Hermione said with a small smile and shrug, "maybe a little bit you."

Ron chuckled and pulled her along behind him to the table he'd just gotten, though he'd never admit to Hermione that he was just as late as she was. As much as he'd missed her, he could wait for a lecture, and how often was  _Hermione Granger_  later than a Weasely?

"So how's it been here? Other than dreadfully boring with me being gone, that is." Ron inquired as Madame Rosmerta set down their butterbeers and food.

"It's been quite exciting, what with being the best friend of not only  _the_  Harry Potter but also the Cannon's newest star keeper. Witch Weekly owls daily for interviews, I hardly have any time for myself." She said with a wink and a playful toss of a chip in his direction. "Honestly, it's been alright. Shockingly better now that Anthony's out of the picture." she said warily, holding her breath for the outburst that never came. Ron and Anthony had gotten on well, and Hermione was shocked that Ron didn't have a single opinion on her decision to leave him.

"Yeah, I heard about that. What with him being Lavender's latest victim and all. Wanker."

Hermione openly gaped at her best friend, not trying to hide it even a little bit.

"What?" he said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes, "I'm in touch with my emotions!"

Hermione chuckled as she picked at her fish.  _It's good to know that some things never change._

* * *

All too soon for either of their liking, two hours had passed and Hermione had to go meet with her parolee.

"So I'll see you Sunday at your place for brunch," Ron said kissing her cheek, "and dinner at the Burrow Monday before I head back to Brazil."

Hermione nodded and got to her feet, instantly regretting the several butterbeers she'd polished off. One didn't pack much of a punch, but seven combined with her petite frame were enough to make her slightly unsteady in her heels.

Unwilling to let anything spoil her good mood, she slipped out of her pumps and made the decision to walk to half mile to Patricia Goyle's flat. Being in the first class of MLE officers trained after the war, Hermione had been assigned two "to watch" parolees. The 'watchlist' as it came to be known, consisted of Death Eaters, like Draco, who were deemed too young at their time of service to need to atone for their crimes, and family members and close friends of convicted Death Eaters, like Blaise and Patricia. Hermione had been incredibly lucky when it came to her parolee assignment. She had been given Patricia Goyle and Marjorie Flint – the twin sister of Marcus Flint. Both women had gone to Beauxbatons during the war, and had little to no contact with their estranged fathers and brothers. They were, however, both high priority cases because unlike Malfoy and Gregory Goyle junior, Goyle senior and Marcus had both maimed, tortured, raped, and murdered muggles and muggle born witches in Voldemort's name quite publicly, and could not, would not, be pardoned. Hermione rather enjoyed both women, and her weekly check-ins came to be more like social calls than MLE sanctioned business.

Rounding the corner to Patricia's building, Hermione slipped her heels back on, and sent her patronus to the third floor for Patricia to let her into the building. Hearing the telltale buzz of the door, she made her way up the stairs. Coming upon the second floor landing, Hermione saw Patricia running back and forth between her own flat and the one across the hall.

"Hi Hermione!" Patricia panted, not stopping to greet her, "Sorry about this – slight pixie problem!"

Just as Patricia shut the door to her own apartment, a pixie came hurdling directly towards Hermione.

Thinking quickly to her second year, Hermione whipped out her wand and cast and  _immobolis_  charm. This pixie froze midair, but Hermione had overcompensated in pulling out her wand and began to lose her balance. The combination of her pumps and unstable reaction time found her falling, quite ungracefully, down the stairs. She was awake long enough to hear Patricia scream "Merlin!" from the third floor before everything went black.

* * *

"Well now, there she is." Hermione awoke to the face of a smiling Mediwitch, in what she assumed could only be the emergency care ward at St. Mungo's. "Alright, deary" the matronly woman, who reminded Hermione strongly of Molly Weasley said, "I'll just step out so you can put these robes on while I fetch the – ah Healer Nott! I was just stepping out to fetch you, and to give Ms. Granger a moment of privacy to change."

At his name, Hermione froze, suddenly filled with dread.  _Maybe he has a cousin._  But it was his next comment which made Hermione absolutely sure she was dealing with  _her_  Nott and not any other.

"That will be quite unnecessary, Viola, as this is not the first time I've seen Ms. Granger naked. I'm sure she'd like to get this over with as soon as possible, as would I."

The last thing Hermione registered was his smirking face before the world went black once more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros Studios. All original characters and plot are my own, I gain nothing financially from this work.

_They slammed into the wall behind her as their lips and hands attacked the other with a passion unmatched. Her name was like a mantra on his lips as he ran his callused hands over her curves. They didn't get many moments like this, stolen away when he was with the Order and not spying, and away from prying eyes and ears. She pushed his dark hair, longer than she'd ever seen it, back from his forehead so she could stare into his eyes. She could not get enough of this man._

_All at once she was filled up to the hilt with him, instantly wrapping her legs around his waist as he pounded into her like a man possessed, staring into her chocolate brown eyes the entire time._

_As they came down from their shared bliss he planted a kiss on her collarbone._

" _I missed you." he murmured behind another kiss. "I love -"_

**MRROWW!**

Hermione shot up in bed and frantically looked around to make sure that she was, in fact at home, and not at Grimmauld Place. She hugged Crookshanks close to her body. She loved that cat. He didn't know it, but his impatient hunger had just saved her from days of heartbreak, ice cream, and bad muggle romantic comedies surrounding a certain Healer that she had an appointment with this morning.

After her  _slight_  tumble down the stairs, he had ordered her to be pulled out of work for two weeks (two WEEKS!) in order to rest and heal. While this hiatus had given her much more time to spend with Ron, his portkey had activated yesterday after only three days home and she was going out of her mind with boredom. She had already finished her "to read" list and cleaned her entire flat. If she was being honest with herself, she would admit that she was potentially, maybe driving Ginny and Pansy crazy as well.

It was Ginny's refusal to come anywhere near the flat while Hermione was "insano-cleaning" that finally made Hermione agree to contact St. Mungo's. As loathe as she was to admit it, Theodore Nott stood in between Hermione and her job, and in order for him to sign her early release paperwork, she had to play nice.

With that thought in mind, Hermione dug through her closet until she found one of her long forgotten, but favorite sundresses. It was light blue and hit just above her knees. It had a halter neck and small amounts of lace detail on the bodice. She slipped it over her head and twirled around in front of her mirror, for old times' sake, watching the skirt flare out around her as she spun.

* * *

" _Granger have you heard back from…what is THAT?" Theo said as he walked into their bedroom holding battle schematics._

_Hermione stopped twirling and blushed slightly. "I saw it today in muggle London and couldn't resist. It's not like I'll ever get to wear it with…everything, but I like it." she said, looking at him through the mirror. She was embarrassed and held her hands together so that he wouldn't see their shaking._

" _You look…wow, Hermione." He said coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, staring thoughtfully at the two of them in the mirror. "You look beautiful."_

* * *

"You look beautiful." Draco said with a grin as he leaned on Hermione's door frame.

"ARGH! Malfoy! You could have bloody well knocked, you know!" Hermione said, steadying her nerves. She had jumped about a meter in the air when he had spoken, pulling her from her memory.

"Well I said hello about three times before I got to your room, lady." Draco said with a smirk. He knew exactly what the dress signified to both her and Theo, and wondered if Hermione had thought her actions all the way through, or if she even noticed. "Now, did you still want me to come with you to Theo's office or are you all set to go out on your own, wearing  _that."_

Hermione ignored his waggling eyebrows and said, "No, I'd still like you to come with me, thank you. And why should I care about a dress? It's not as if it ever mattered to him; and besides, I like it." She said with a grin, her confidence boosting through her defiance.

"All I'm saying is that he's not going to be very receptive to whatever you have to say while you're wearing that thing." Draco shook his head and held out his arm for Hermione to side-along.

"When has that man EVER had any regard for what I have to say?" Hermione laughed as they landed in front of a relatively non-descript looking office building. Draco chuckled as Hermione pointed a finger at him, "You only laugh because it's true!"

Taking Hermione's arm in his as they walked through the doors of Theo's office, the secretary waved them through to the back, being familiar with Draco from years of friendship..

With two knocks on the frame, Draco pushed the door open and lead Hermione inside.

"Hello Granger, just have a seat." Theo said with his back turned towards the pair, seemingly reading a patient file. Draco cleared his throat as he sat down, unable to resist the fireworks that were about to spew from his best mate's head. As he turned around, Theo said "Now, would you care to explain to me why my assistant actually cried from your last howler or would you like me to gue- IS THAT YOUR WEDDING DRESS?"

* * *

_It was a simple ceremony, especially by Theo's standards, and definitely unconventional; but then again, so were they. He didn't know what he'd done to deserve her, but at just eighteen years old he knew that he'd never find anyone better than her. She was his world, and she was perfect._

_Theo took a deep breath and turned to nod to the Weasel and Draco. Never in a million years would Theodore Nott have thought that Ronald Weasley would be standing up in his wedding next to his best man, but there he was. Theo had also never thought that he'd be marrying Hermione Granger, or that her ex-flame would have been one of their greatest supporters. "Believed in true love, he did."_

_All it took was a sharp gasp from Ron and a warm chuckle from Kingsley Shaklebolt, who was overseeing the ceremony as interim Minister of Magic, for Theo to know that she was here. He turned to face the back door of Grimmauld Place and could barely breathe. There, being escorted by Potter was Hermione in the simple blue dress she had purchased just three days ago, with a daisy in her hair, looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her._

_As Hermione approached their makeshift altar, he swallowed the lump in his throat and managed to croak out a "Hi." to which she beamed at him in response. When Potter finally (Gods that man was slow) sat down, Kingsley cleared his throat and began._

" _Right, so let's jump right into this, shall we?" he chuckled as Hermione flushed and Theo rolled his eyes. "Never before have I seen two people as fiercely compassionate and loyal to one another. So much so that words cannot do them justice; having all seen it first hand, you know that what I say is true. Let me just say this to the woman who I have known since she was a very young girl, you have done so well, my dear. You could not have picked a better partner for your life. He has surprised us all with his tenacity for good and his brain that rivals only yours. Now, let us listen to these two make their promise to each other, and then we can get on with that Molly Weasley feast!" with a wink, he gestured to Theo and took a step back._

" _Granger, Hermione, there's so many things that I want to say to you, and just don't have the words, so let me say only this: I will love you. I will love you until we have long since breathed our last breaths and our grandchildren have grandchildren. That's all that I can promise you, love, because I'm pretty sure after all of this is over, I'll have been quite disinherited."_

_Hermione was the first to laugh at his cheeky comment, and her eyes were still full of mirth as she began her vows._ " _I said it when you proposed three days ago and I'll say it again, it's you and me. Always. I don't need a piece of parchment or a ring to tell me what I already know, and that's as long as it's you and me - we'll be alright. Even if you do get disinherited." with a wink she nodded to Kingsley who handed them each their wedding bands, plain and silver, but perfect._

" _By the power vested in me as the Minister of Magic, I pronounce you, Theodore Nott, and you, Hermione Granger, husband and wife. You may kiss -"_

Theo was startled out of his reverie by two sharp raps on his door frame, and a throat clear so dramatic it could have only come from Draco. Smug bastard. With his back still to the door so he could compose himself, he said, " Hello Granger, just have a seat."  _Turn around you prat, you can't have this conversation with the wall._  His subconscious scolded him, sounding suspiciously like his best friend circa third year, but still he did just that. Turning around he said, "Now, would you care to explain why my assistant actually cried from your last howler or would you like me to gue-" as Theo had finally set his eyes on Hermione, he took in her appearance and saw red.

"IS THAT YOUR WEDDING DRESS?"

* * *

Hermione sat in the seat opposite Theo's desk with a smug grin on her face as she watched the slimy git try to process what exactly was going on. It gave her a boost of confidence to know that even after five years and a failed marriage, she could still make his eyes bulge out of his head in anger.

"We're not here to talk about my wardrobe, Healer Nott." she said as he visibly winced at her detached, professional tone. "We're here so that you can sign the release papers in order for me to return to work. As you can see I'm perfectly fine and - "

Theo, seemingly regaining his bearings, held up a hand to silence her. "I know exactly why you're here,  _Miss Granger_ " he emphasized her formal tone before continuing, "and I will do no such thing. I told you two weeks of rest for your injury. It's only been four days!"

Hermione huffed, saying "Well can't you just examine me? You'll see that I'm perfectly fine. This really is such an inconvenience. If you'd just take a look, then you'd finally be rid of me, just like you wanted!" She gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that out loud, or so dramatic.

Draco sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose from the couch on the other side of the office. He'd known this wasn't going to be easy when she'd owled him to go with her, but  _was she serious_?

"Look, Hermione. You're not ready to go back. You're not, whether you like it or not. Just take the damn break and go back next week. Everyone needs a vacation." Theo tried to reason with her.

"You do not get to decide what I am or am not 'ready' for Theodore Nott! You don't even know me anymore! I'm not the same girl you knew and will certainly not listen to you patronize me any longer!" she yelled,  _loudly,_ as her fingertips started to spark. "Oh fucking hell!" she muttered as she clasped her hands tightly over her crossed legs and proceeded to mumble under breath. Theo was certain that he heard something sounding an awful lot like "snake" pass her lips. For the second time that morning, he saw red courtesy of Hermione Jean Granger.

"Well fuck me if nothing's changed, Granger! You always think that you know better than everyone else but please allow me to clue you in! I'M THE BLOODY HEALER! You are not!" he roared, "And no wife of mine is going back to work with a thrice damned head injury from which she is likely to pass out cold or hemorrhage at any second!" Theo was seething by the end of his tirade, and only the look of pure horror on Draco's face made him realize his mistake a second too late.

"No wife of yours?" Hermione said, deadly calm "Yes, Theo, do tell us. How is Daphne these days?"

With a resounding CRACK, Hermione apparated out of Theo's office leaving a whirlwind of paperwork and two speechless former Slytherins.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros Studios. All original characters and plot are my own, I gain nothing financially from this work.

"I dunno mate, I haven't seen her like this since he left. She hasn't spoken a single word to me since she apparated in this afternoon. She ran straight to our bedroom and hasn't been out since. It's been almost six hours." Harry Potter sat quietly in his study with his head stuck in an emerald flame as he waited for the Floo Call delay to get all of what he'd said to Brazil, and more importantly, to Ron. Harry had known about Hermione's appointment with Nott earlier that morning, and had expected a visit at some point from his best friend. He'd expected a spitting mad and irrational Hermione Granger ready to hex Theo back to second year, and was therefore unprepared when an inconsolable one appeared in his kitchen with a surge of magic so strong that his pots and pans rattled. He had to remember to talk to her about mood stabilizers. Maybe he could get Draco to do it…

"Bloody hell, Harry." Ron said as he ran a hand over his features. "She didn't speak for almost two weeks when that happened. Or eat! I'm coming home."

Harry just shook his head at his friend. "You know that if you come home, she'll hex you for making an ' _unnecessary fuss over absolutely nothing substantial.'_ " he said the last part in his best Hermione impression. He needed to keep his own concern for Hermione out of his voice so that Ron wouldn't uproot his life to save her from herself. She'd go to him when she was ready. She always did.

Having the desired effect, Harry's statement made Ron chuckle. "Well, when you talk to her, tell her if she needs to get away, I've a couple days off coming up, and South America is beautiful this time of year." With a nod in farewell, Harry ended the Floo Call. Deciding on a cup of tea, he stood and headed into the kitchen.

* * *

Digging through the pantry for the box that Draco kept their tea in, Harry pondered what his life would be like if Theo and Hermione had never gotten together. He'd never have gotten together with Draco, that's for sure. Theo and Hermione had paved the way for breaking expectations and unconventional relationships, and he was glad for it. On a larger scale though, Harry wasn't sure if the war would have been won in favor of the Light had it not been for the two of them. They made a fierce team with intelligence unmatched, and worked very well together when they weren't screaming the house down at one another. Harry snorted at the memory of Theo and Hermione's first meeting after the "official" start to the war.

_Harry led a very tired, hungry, and all around worse for wear Theodore Nott and Draco Malfoy through a plain muggle neighborhood._

" _Are you sure about this Potter? I mean, not one of them has any reason to NOT hex us into oblivion. Merlin, especially Granger."_

_Harry rolled his eyes. While he'd known about Draco's involvement as a spy for the Light since the beginning of 6th year, he was completely surprised when an entire battalion of Slytherins followed suit. The duo being on the side of the Light certainly didn't mean that he had to like the wankers._

" _Nott, for the_ _hundredth_   _time, they all know of your loyalty and have agreed to let you come to headquarters. Even Hermione. You wouldn't be here if she hadn't."_

_Upon reaching their destination, Harry muttered a spell under his breath to lower the wards, and the trio walked up the front drive of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Before Harry could even properly grasp the handle, the door was flung open by the source of Theo's (and if Harry was honest with himself, his own) anxiety, a one Hermione Granger who looked ready to kill._

_Huffing, Hermione marched right up to Harry and slapped him soundly across his face. He felt, more than saw, the sparks erupt from her fingertips as she made contact with his cheek. "That," she enunciated each word with it's own punctuation mark, "Harry James Potter, is for keeping this secret from me for almost two bloody years! Do you know how much research I did on that fucking cabinet?" She flushed when she heard Draco chuckle, and one look at Harry's sheepish grin and she knew she couldn't stay angry with him for long. "And you two!" she exclaimed, gesturing to the former Slytherins, "You look absolutely famished. In you go, and right to the kitchen with you. Molly's made a stew."_

_Laughing quietly at her ceaseless bossiness, Harry held the door open for Draco and Theo as Hermione spun on her heel and went back upstairs to her tactical meeting with Lupin and Ron._

_"I suppose I did deserve some of that." Harry mused as he shut the door behind Draco._

_With a deep breath, Draco awkwardly patted Harry on the arm, laughing and lightly touching his cheek where a hand print welt was already beginning to appear. "If that's the worse you ever do to her, you'll be alright Potter." he said, walking away and leaving an utterly bemused Boy-Who-Lived behind him._

* * *

The sound of the tea kettle whistling roused Harry from his memory and he looked up to see his best friend leaning on the doorframe, watching him, outfitted quite snugly in one of his old Quidditch jerseys.

"For a man who defeated the darkest wizard of our time, that's an awfully conflicted look you've got there, Potter." Hermione sniffed, pushing off of the frame to snuggle into her best friend's open embrace. "How was your day?"

" _How was your day_ , she says, like she isn't crying in my kitchen wearing my clothes," Harry chuckled. Placing his chin on the top of her head he said, "Are you ready to talk?

"No," she said honestly. "He called me his wife." At his wince, she continued. "I suppose he can't be entirely blamed for that, though. I may have shown up there wearing the dress."

"Which dress? Now is not the time for you to be a vague girl on me 'Mione - "

"The dress we got married in, Harry. I showed up to his office in my wedding dress." she said very quickly, muffled by his jumper.

"You didn't." Harry stared at Hermione, wide eyed. Moving her away from his chest, clutching her shoulders, "You haven't touched that thing in years, what is wrong with you?!"

"I did. Apparently, that's what set him off. What do you mean what's wrong with me Harry Potter this is not a situation I ever thought I'd find myself in!" she squawked, slapping at him

"Alright, alright, 'Mione I said  _alright_  would you  _stop_  that!" batting at her hands, he handed her a mug of tea and pushed her toward the breakfast nook. "I guess if Draco left me after six months with no explanation I'd make him remember every time I saw him too."

"That's the problem though, isn't it," she swallowed a mouthful of tea, "the remembering. Though I'd pay like, a thousand galleons to see Draco's face if you showed up to his office in my blue dress." She smirked, and he laughed outright.  _Thank Merlin for Harry Potter._  "How's Ron, Harry?"

Harry thought about denying his Floo Call to his other best friend, but he knew that Hermione knew him well enough to know that that was the first thing he'd done when she'd shown up in a crisis. "He wants you to go to Brazil. Says he has a long weekend."

Hermione hummed as she contemplated the offer. She knew she couldn't go back to work thanks to Theo and she would love to spend some one on one time with Ron. She had decided after she had cried all of her tears out directly onto Draco's pillow,  _Slytherin solidarity_ , that it was truly time to move on with her life, and to step outside the box of safety that dating men like Anthony Goldstein provided her; they can't hurt you if you expect it from them. Pansy had long ago suggested asking Ron to see if they could try again a few years earlier than planned, just to see how things panned out and if they could be happy together. She knew she wasn't ready for any kind of serious romance, and Ron was not ever someone with whom she could be casually dating, but it'd be good to get away all in the same.

"Maybe I'll do that." Hermione mused, more to herself than to Harry. "Pansy thinks that I should try to shag him, thoughts?" she laughed openly as Harry's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish in shock, pointing his finger at her as he stepped into his study to Floo Ron with an update he said simply, "Please, Hermione, gods, GODS no." Hearing her responding cackle from the kitchen warmed him to his bones. It was so good to hear Hermione laughing. There was a time when a run in with Nott would have left her catatonic for days, and now she seemed to be recovering rather quickly. Harry tossed a handful of Floo power into the fireplace and called Kingsley in order to have a rush portkey made for Hermione's trip. Sometimes, it still paid to be the Chosen One.

* * *

As the papers settled around Theo's office, he shot a horrified look at his best friend of 23 years. Draco, in response gave Theo a look of chagrined pity. Without a word, Draco rose from his seat and went out to tell the office receptionist to cancel all of Theo's appointments for the rest of the day and to take a paid afternoon off for herself as well, for Dr. Nott had just been informed of a personal emergency.

At the click of the office door, Theo leapt into action, and with a roar of frustration, flipped his desk and all its contents and went to work at flinging files around the room. Halfway through his temper tantrum, Draco came back into the office and calmly sat back in his seat until Theo was finished. He knew that the outburst was completely juvenile, but it was the only way that Theo knew how to deal with his feelings regarding Hermione, something Draco could painfully relate to. She had been a thorn in his side long before he had considered her a friend.

Theo slumped to the ground as his files and paperwork fluttered to the floor around him and sighed dejectedly. "Mate…bloody hell, what did I just do?"

"You remembered that you still love her." Draco's voice was so low that it was almost a whisper. He'd always suspected that Theo still harbored feelings for the witch, but had never voiced his opinions. For all of the drama that went along with their pairing, Theo seemed content being married to Daphne and Draco thought that if nothing else, his friend should have a little peace in his life after their tumultuous childhood.

Theo looked at his friend with red-rimmed eyes and nodded. Standing and brushing himself off, he said, quite simply "I've got to find her."

* * *

"Harry, for the love of all that is - I was JOKING about shagging Ron, would you please calm down?!" Hermione sat cross legged on Harry's sofa, openly laughing at her best friend.

"It's not that I don't want you together, 'Mione! That'd be brilliant! I just don't want to know about it! ANY of it!"

Draco paled as he prepared to open the front door. Hermione was going to get back together with Weasley, Theo might actually lose her this time. Not that she was really his to lose anymore, but he still felt the sting on behalf of his best mate. Telling Theo to stay put, Draco made a show of jingling his keys in the lock and taking down the wards to enter his home.

Feeling the shift in the wards, Harry sobered and looked towards the door, knowing that Draco was stalling - for whatever reason.

"Harry, I cannot deal with it if he's here…." Hermione said, her voice small.

"Up you go then because you are definitely not going to like what's about to walk through that door."  _What_  Draco was thinking bringing that toad home, Harry was unsure, but Hermione would not be here to find out. "Don't forget that abomination of a dress, 'Mione." he gestured towards the back of the house, indicating that she should collect her things from his bedroom.

"Oh, well. No worries there," she said sheepishly "my magic sort of...burned it off when I got here." With a small smile towards her best friend, she tossed some Floo powder into the fireplace, laughing softly as she heard him yelling after her "OI! If there's scorch marks on that bedspread Draco will kill me! Hermione Jean!"

Hearing the Floo settle, Draco opened the door and gestured Theo in behind him. "Hi honey, I'm home. Can we keep him?" Draco planted a kiss on the top of Harry's head, silently begging him not to throttle Theo in their sitting room. The carpets were new.

If Harry was surprised to see Theo, his reaction didn't show it. Glancing at the man who had rendered the most important woman in his life nearly catatonic Harry's reaction was to laugh himself absolutely sick. "Nott, you really have gone 'round the bend, haven't you? First you call Hermione your WIFE after what you did to her, and then, THEN you show up HERE AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO HER. You must have a death wish!" Harry stopped laughing at the mention of Hermione's name and had progressed into full on yelling by the time he had finished. He could not fathom why, of all places, Nott had come to his home, friends with Draco or not. Harry and Theo had no love lost between them, and after everything happened with Hermione, Harry had washed his hands of the man completely.

"Draco…" Theo began, looking to his long-time friend for help.

"Absolutely not, mate. You did this yourself."

"Where is she, Potter?" Theo remained calm, knowing that to yell at Harry Potter would only put him on the receiving end of a  _Sectumsempra_  and watching that happen once was quite enough, thank you very much.

"Five years you've left her alone no problem. And then you come barging back into her life and then say what you said to her! She was here for HOURS Nott. You know how strongly she reacts to you. You KNOW she still loves you, and what? You just couldn't resist tormenting her?" Draco said, finally in a position to tear into his childhood friend.

"That's not it, Malfoy, you know I…" Theo began again, only to be cut off. Again.

"I sent her on vacation. Maybe somebody else will be the man you never could be and finally make her happy. Not just marry her and then pull the rug out from under her feet for somebody else. And another thing…" Harry continued, barely pausing for breath, and rapidly turning a color only ever seen on Vernon Dursley.

"OI! POTTER! I'M TRYING TO GET MY WIFE BACK NOW WHERE THE HELL DID YOU SEND HER?!" Theo was red-faced and panting after his outburst, and both men stood staring at him, slack-jawed.

"Brazil, to see Ron. What do you mean, get your wife back? You have a wife. Her name is Daphne." Harry said, speaking slowly as to make sure his thoughts on Theo's intelligence were  _very_ clear.

"Daphne and I haven't been together for over a year. She's living with her sister in Paris. We were never officially married. Our betrothal contract became void after I was bound to Hermione." Theo explained, running a hand down his face. "When my father died, I was granted the rights that come with being the Nott heir, and was privy to information, more importantly, contracts that I wasn't when he was alive. Apparently, Thoros wanted to ensure that we kept the Greengrass dowry, and went through all the motions to make sure that I followed suit with the help of our trusty solicitor."

"Wait, wasn't my father your solicit-oh." Draco mumbled

"Nott back up, and explain. And for Merlin's sake, let me get some Firewhiskey into my system so I don't kill you." Harry shook his head as Draco sat down with Theo in the sitting room.

* * *

"So basically what you're saying is, when Lucius found out about your marriage, he told Thoros, and you by extension that it was invalid because of your binding betrothal contract with Daphne's family?" Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose and Theo nodded.

"And in actuality, your betrothal was voided when you and Hermione bound yourselves to one another, because the magic of the binding ceremony cancelled the magic of the betrothal out?" Another nod.

"And so technically, you and Daphne were never married?" An eye roll, and a nod.

"And that because you left a note for Hermione saying that you were leaving her, but never technically divorced her…" Harry shook his head as Draco finished the statement for both men.

"Harry, what he's saying is that Theo and Hermione are still married."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros Studios. All original characters and plot are my own, I gain nothing financially from this work.

The world spun and then settled around Hermione. Great Godric, she hated traveling by portkey. Gathering her bearings, she stuck her portkey (a lightning bolt key chain, courtesy of Harry Potter's sense of humor) into her pocket and headed into the atrium of Brazil's Ministry of Magic. Looking around for the familiar flash of red hair that always accompanied a Weasley, she was quickly disappointed to realize that she was searching in vain. Ron wasn't here. Could he have forgotten? How embarrassing. Just as Hermione had resigned herself to finding a cab and somehow finding her way to Ron's home, a commotion at security gave her pause.

There, dashing through security was the entire Chudley Cannons Quidditch team, all skidding to a halt directly in front of her. One of the players, still soaking wet from practice, looked strangely familiar to her, but she couldn't for the life of her place him. She scanned the sweaty, but grinning faces and still didn't see Ron.

"Er…hello…gentlemen…" she began diplomatically.

"We solemnly swear that he didn't forget." the entire team said as one, with their hands over their hearts, grinning like school boys.

The player that looked familiar to Hermione stepped forward and stuck out his hand. "Hullo, Hermione, I'm not sure if ye remember me, I'm…"

"Oliver Wood!" She exclaimed, his accent immediately placing him in her mind. "How are you?!"

Laughing, Oliver continued with a wink, "I'm well, lass. You look great, prettier than ever." At this last comment, another player cleared his throat and elbowed Oliver. "Right, right. Well, Weasley sent us lot to fetch ye so that he could clean up after practice, as to not offend ye with his filth. Said something about having better feelings than a fork…or something."

Hermione couldn't contain her laughter. Thank Merlin for Ronald Weasley. He always knew exactly what she needed. Linking her arm with Oliver's she said, "Alright, gentlemen, lead the way!"

Ron Weasley ran through his flat at break neck speed, completely starkers. It wasn't that he had forgotten that Hermione was coming today. He had simply thought that he had more time than he actually did. Spelling things to their rightful place as quickly as he could, he thanked Merlin, Morgana, and all of the Founders for his Quidditch training, which meant that he wouldn't get winded from all of the running around that he was doing. Just as he was finishing up making his bed, his Floo roared to life.

"Weasley!" a voice barked at the other end, followed quickly by embarrassed laughter. "Mate, if you think showing her your freckled arse is going to make her jump right into bed with you, you might want to reconsider your approach."

Rolling his eyes, Ron turned to greet the glowing head of Draco Malfoy popping through his fireplace. "Mione thinks my freckles are charming," he sing-songed. "What did you need then, not another emergency I hope." Ron and Draco got along fine, for Harry's sake - what kind of best friend would he be if he stopped talking to Harry over something as stupid as Malfoy, honestly, but the relationship stopped there.

"No immediate emergency, unless you consider Granger still being married to Theo of some great importance."

"Still WHAT?!" Ron tossed the trousers he had been trying to wrestle on and marched directly to the Floo, hands on hips. "Is he there? Friend or not I'll kill him!"

Theo's voice could be heard from the background on Draco's end, mingling with Harry's and shaking with laughter "Please not before you put some clothes on, Weasel!"

Ron Weasley would be lying to himself if he thought that what he was doing wasn't 100% creepy, and that he wasn't jealous as hell. Ron mentally shrugged his shoulders and decided that he would contemplate his life's actions at another, less precarious time. He currently had his ear pressed up against the locked and warded library door at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place listening to two people, who he was under the assumption loathed one another, moan each other's name as the giant desk in the corner was scratching its way through the hardwood under their ministrations. It wasn't that Ron wasn't a catch. He was the best strategist currently working for the Order of the Pheonix and a right stud, if-he-did-say-so-himself-thank-you-very-much. It also wasn't that he was ever lonely at night. There was always one female (and after a few too many firewhiskeys, a very intoxicated Seamus) who wandered into his room looking for him, company, or just an escape from the horror that had e become their lives as a result of the war. It was the feelings behind the rutting around that he missed. A quick shag in the dark, working under the best of circumstances, only scratched half of the itch. He missed the all-consuming feeling of pressing yourself against that person and feeling them mold against you as you both found euphoria. He hadn't felt it in ages not since…well, he wouldn't think of her. It hurt too much to remember that she'd left him for someone else, someone more "seasoned" as she'd said at the time.

Too wrapped up in his own mind, Ron didn't hear the giggling coming from behind him as he pressed his ear into the door, and jumped when he heard his best friend's voice right next to his ear. "Holy cricket they're loud! But…educational, aren't they Ronald?"

Ron whipped around to stare directly into the chocolate brown eyes of Hermione Nott nee Granger whose face was the shade of his hair from laughing so hard. "'Mione! I swear I've only been here for a minute!"

"Oh come off it Weasley, we've been standing here for at least fifteen." Ron only then registered that Hermione's husband was standing directly behind her wearing an almost identical smirk as his wife.

"Well you could at least just let me make my excuses and scamper off…" Ron began with a sheepish grin.

"We wouldn't dream of it, Ronald." Hermione said with a wink as she moved past her best friend. "Besides, Draco's a screamer."

"No." Hermoine's head was stuck in the Floo in Ron's bedroom as she shook her curls furiously back from her eyes.

"Hermione, this is getting out of hand." Pansy tried to reason with her. "You can't honestly stay this mad at all of us at once."

"And besides," Ginny cut in "you're going to need all of us after you hear what he has to say."

"I don't bloody well need ANY of you!" Hermione exclaimed. "Especially not people, that I thought were my friends, who are trying to force me to reconcile with the man who OBLITERATED my heart. Unless you're all going to obliviate me after I'm not interested."

"You could at least let Ron back into his own bedroom, Granger." Pansy drawled, rolling her eyes at her friend.

Hermione snorted. She'd realized that she was being utterly ridiculous when it came to barring Ronald from his own bedroom. But she was in no mood to talk to him after the first words he said to her after an international trip were "Nott is with Malfoy, you should contact them." After affirming that no one she knew was dead or dying, she'd marched directly into his bedroom, said, "Not even a 'Hello Mione, safe trip?' You are INSUFFERABLE!" and slammed the door.

"Look, Hermione, you know that it's important if we're all here with our heads in a bloody fireplace trying to convince you, after five years, to talk to your husband, who at least half of us hate, and the other half have punched in the face for what he did to you. It's hardly practical for you to shut all of your mates out. And you, Hermione Granger, are nothing if not practical." Ginny said.

Hermione sniffed at her friend. Ginny Weasley was one hell of a friend when she was on your side. She was fiercely loyal and loved a good duel against an arsehole who was spewing malice about anyone she loved. But when she was your opposition, you were going to lose. Ginny had a way of pinpointing every little thing that you were insecure about in your argument and magnifying it. She also had a very particular way of telling someone that they were wrong. She savored it like a delicacy, especially when it came to arguments with Hermione - who was rarely wrong.

"Ex." Hermione finally breathed, pinching the bridge of her nose and praying that no tears would fall from her eyes. "He's my ex-husband."

"Hermione, he's not your ex-husband." Suddenly Harry's face popped up in between her two best girlfriends' in the fire as he ran his hand through his shaggy black hair.

"Don't play games with me Harry Potter. I'm in no mood. And another thing -" Hermione began, hands already on hips.

"Granger, you're still married." Draco said as calmly as he could as he stepped through the Floo, followed closely by Pansy, Ginny, and Harry. Ron must have lowered the wards to let them through, the traitor.

Hermione stared at Draco in horror. This had to be the worst practical joke in the history of the world. Or she was dreaming. That had to be it. By the time Hermione realized that the four had unwarded the bedroom door to let Ron in, he was prying her fingers off of her forearm where they held her skin in a vice like grip trying to pinch herself out of this nightmare.

"Come on love, breathe." Ron pulled Hermione into his arms and waited for what was sure to be a Vesuvius-like eruption from the brunette. Hermione was shaking from head to toe and had gone a shade of pale typically reserved for victims of the Avada. She was shaking her head back and forth and moving her lips in what would have been words had she been able to find her voice. Her eyes whipped back and forth, unseeing between all of her friends who had settled around the room.

Hermione's mind was flying a mile a minute as she not only tried to process this newly acquired information, but also went over everything she knew about marriage, and contracts, and Malfoy Enterprises, who had drafted her divorce…

"I never signed divorce paperwork." Hermione's mouth had gone unbearably dry.

"What's that?" Draco was crouching down in front of her now.

"I never signed divorce paperwork. There never was any. How in Godric's name could I have been so stupid?! I just assumed that our marriage was invalid since he was able to marry … but that's not how things are done … there's always a contract … he and I are … marriage contracts are no different than any other dissolution of partners … married … still a Nott … married … I am going to kill Lucius Malfoy." Hermione's words came out a jumbled mess, and the only complete thought had been to dismember her former, or rather, current father in law's solicitor limb from limb for not drafting an iron clad betrothal contract for his son.

Locking eyes with Draco, Hermione's expressed became perplexed as she took in his chuckling. "Lucius is already dead, love."

Hermione had already known this to be true, but she didn't need one more thing taken away from her in this moment. "Liver failure beat you to the punch. But at least it saved you the time in Azkaban." Draco was still laughing as Hermione's eyes went wide. Before she could make sense of what she was doing, she was howling with laughter, which quickly but assuredly dissolved into sobs as she clung to his chest as he tried to lean as far away from the wailing woman as he could without seeming insensitive.

"Er…should we…I mean…go?" Harry seemed torn as to what to do in this situation, having never had to tell someone that they were still married to someone they hated.

"St-tt-tay." Hermione stuttered out. "I p-plan to get p-piss drunk tonight and it's all your lot's fault. You m-may as well stay and foot the b-bill." Hermione threw a watery smile at Harry as she hiccupped through her tears. It was a long standing tradition that whenever one of the trio had to be the bearer of bad news, they bought the first seven, or eight, or seventeen rounds of drinks until the news had been forgotten or processed - whichever came first.

Grinning at his friend, Harry said with a wink, before snatching Hermione's drawn wand and sprinting out the door, "It is a celebration, after all. My best friend is married.

Roaring laughter and Hermione's squawk followed Harry out of the room as sprinted from the room, both wands in his hand..

Sitting alone in his study, Theo watched the amber liquid in his glass swirl around the bottom. He hoped he'd done the right thing in enlisting the Scooby gang to help in this endeavor. He needed Hermione back, and he didn't care if it took him the rest of his life. She would be his again, if it killed him. He'd promised her forever and a day, and meant it, though he didn't realize it until very recently.

"Promise you won't leave." Hermione yawned as she curled up next to Theo in their bed. "Even if we're not married anymore, just don't … leave me. Like Luna did to Ronald. . She's completely ruined him" She chuckled and snuggled deeper into her husband's side..

Moments like this were when Theo loved her the most. She was a highly practical being, but thrived on being surrounded by those she loved. "A pack of wild thestrals couldn't pull me away, love. It's you and me, always, you know that." He said as he stroked her hair.

"Mm..always." She murmured as she drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros Studios. All original characters and plot are my own, I gain nothing financially from this work.

"Ugh, yes!" Hermione groaned deep in her throat as her body was pushed to its breaking point. Sweat slid down her flushed chest as her counterpart grunted as he readjusted his position in order to continue his all-out assault on her more than pliant form. He knew that this was not about power or speed, but about going deep and pulling her completely out of her comfort zone. She needed this, and he was more than willing to do this for her until she was no longer agitated about whatever it was that had her knickers in such a twist. He knew better than to ask her anything before they were done. She'd tell him during the after, while they recuperated, providing that she didn't shove off immediately after, like she sometimes did. He'd say he minded, but Hermione Granger let him push her harder than any other woman in his life, and he'd always had a soft spot for the brown eyed beauty.

"Enough" Hermione panted "Neville enough, I can't take anymore." She groaned as she collapsed onto her yoga mat and stared at the ceiling in Neville's flat as she caught her breath.

"Come on Granger, done so soon?" Neville chuckled as he bumped her shoulder, tossing her a wicked grin and flicking his wet hair out of his eyes.

"Um, yes." She hissed, flopping down on her back. "Unless you wanted to go for a fourth hour?" Grinning as Neville shook his head, Hermione propped herself up on her elbows. "Nev, bikram yoga is  **hard."**

Laughing, Neville fell back on his own mat and winked at her. "Which is why we do it, yeah? Hannah thinks we're both completely mental. So when exactly are you planning on telling me the exact reasoning behind you showing up here, smelling like a pub and demanding torture at 6am?"

Hermione smiled sheepishly and collapsed back down. "Bugger. I was hoping you'd forgotten about my unceremonious appearance this morning. I don't suppose you'll take a rain check on this conversation?" Seeing Neville's smiling face as he shook his head, Hermione sighed. "Right then, let's make it quick. It seems as though I've a husband I need to contend with today."

Neville sat there quietly, waiting for Hermione to finish and in the silence, her words began to sink in. "Wait...husband? What the bloody hell are you on about woman? Maybe Hannah is right about you being a nutter."

"Not a nutter, sadly. Just a Nott." At Neville's wide eyed stare, she decided to throw the poor man a bone. "It seems as though, through all of his scheming my late father in law neglected to draft an iron clad betrothal contract for my unfortunate spouse. And as the aforementioned spouse just up and left me to marry the other Mrs. Theodore Nott, he failed to actually divorce the current Mrs. Theodore Nott." She rolled her eyes and gestured dramatically to herself. "I've already had the proper paperwork filed, or at least I think I have. I Floo'd my request into the Ministry late last night and as Harry was the bearer of bad news..."

"He was also the bringer of Ogden's." Neville finished for her, knowing well of the Trio's long standing tradition. "Wow. So you and Theo are still married. That's brilliant." At her outraged stare and gasp, Neville stumbled to finish his thought. "It is, Hermione. Even if you have to see him just to divorce him, you'll get the closure you so desperately need. You've been a right mess since he left, and don't look at me like that Granger you know it's true. You practically live at the Ministry and you wanted to marry that wanker Goldstein. I'd rather you and Theo reconcile than see you with that git, and Nott put me in a body bind first year!"

Hermione snorted at her friend and muttered, "You know, I think I liked it better when you were afraid of me, Longbottom."

Throwing a pillow at his friend, Neville said with a smile "Please, like you're scarier than a giant arse snake."

Gathering her things, Hermione thanked Neville and floo'd to her flat after reminding him for the third time to give Hannah her love. She needed a shower and a strong Earl Grey to deal with what was in store for her that afternoon.

* * *

Stumbling into her flat, Hermione sighed at the sight of a grumpy and rather  _rumpled_  looking blonde on her sofa. "G'morning Malfoy, tea?"

" _G'morning Malfoy, tea?_ " he mimicked in a high pitch voice. "Where the hell have you been? Do you know how long I've been sitting here on this god forsaken furniture? Where did you even  _get_  this thing?"

"Oh, we  _are_  a snob today aren't we?" she sniped, handing him a steaming mug. "We don't have plans today, what did you need?"

Gulping his still too-hot tea, he grimaced, "You'll just have to trust me, Granger."

"Now? Today? Draco I have things to do!"

"Nothing that won't still be there this afternoon, let's go." removing the mug from her hands, he touched her shoulder and side-along apparated on her shout.

"MALFOY! You can't just side-along people out of nowhere what is wrong with...oh."

Looking up at the small but clean building in front of her, she swallowed her complaint and fondly remembered the first time she and Draco had spent time together after the war.

* * *

" _Y'know what your problem is Granger?" Malfoy slurred, leaning too close to Hermione's face as they both swayed on their bar stools._

" _I'm sure you'll tell me." she murmured, trying - and failing - to flick her hair over her shoulder._

" _You don't trust me." The statement thudded around in her head for a moment before her drunken sass took over._

" _Don't trust you?! That's ridic-ridic-crazy! We just fought in a WAR together Malfoy!"_

" _You stare at my dark mark sometimes, didja know tha'? Like you're trying to figure out if I'm gonna Avada Potter while I'm balls deep in his -"_

" _For the love of magic please do not finish that statement." Suddenly feeling a bit more sober, Hermione stood, balancing on Draco's shoulder as she hopped down from her perch. "Come with me," she said, reaching for his hand. At his lack of response, negative or positive, she side-apparated him to a place she had always wanted to enter, but never had the courage._

" _Granger, have you lost your mind?"_

" _Malfoy why would you ever say something like that to me? If I lose my mind all of Wizarding Britain is in trouble." she said with a laugh._

" _This is a tattoo parlour, you insane woman. Why are we here?"_

" _I stare at your mark because I cannot imagine the Malfoy that I know, and trust with my life thank-you-very-much, going through the pain of getting one, which leads me to wonder what Voldemort would think if you...decorated it." Realizing how daft she sounded, Hermione hid her eyes behind her hand as Draco gaped at her._

" _Decorated it. Permanently." he deadpanned._

" _With flowers. You wanna?"_

" _Only if I get to pick yours." he said, offering her his arm._

* * *

Hissing at the after effect of the feeling of the tattoo needle, Hermione stood to examine Draco's choice in her body modification in the parlour mirror. Running her fingers over the area directly under her collarbone, her smile turned wicked as she heard Draco yelp from the other side of the partition.

"You're getting a constellation, how are you making more noise than me? I got words!"

"You wanted this on my ribs! Granger, I have a serious question, are you listening? Why, why do you hate me - OW BLOODY HELL!" Draco squawked as the Muggle tattoo artist chuckled to himself, muttering about  _young couples on holiday_.

Flooing back to her flat with Malfoy was no small feat, as he complained  _the entire time_  about how sore he was, and how he was going to kill her for choosing something with gold ink.  _Do you realize how pale I am?!_

As he deposited Hermione back in her flat, he kissed her head and pointed to her newly tattooed skin. "I mean that, y'know. Good luck today."

With a wistful smile, she nodded and sent him on his way.

_Courage, dear heart._

* * *

Theo was just finishing the knot on his tie when he heard his Floo roar to life. Seeing that it was still relatively early, he accepted the person to come straight through the wards with a flick of his wand as it really couldn't have been anyone other than Draco.  _Or Blaise_  he thought to himself as he walked into the foyer of his house fastening his cuff links. Hearing a distinctly annoyed and distinctly feminine cough, Theo finally looked up into the wide eyes of his ex, or rather, current wife.

"Granger, while this isn't a complete delight, what exactly are you doing in my foyer?" he drawled. While he wanted her back with every fiber of his being, the witch was too easy to tease.

"It's actually Nott, er, Nott." Hermione deflated a little as she tripped over what had intended as a scathing retort.

"Ah yes, how could I have forgotten? I see you've spoken with Potter. Am I to presume that those are the divorce papers that I won't be signing?"

Spluttering, and spitting mad, Hermione clenched her teeth and counted to ten. "You would be presuming correctly. Now if we could just step into your study and get this over...what do you mean not signing?" Hermione asked as her hands flew to her hips.

"I meant exactly that, Mrs. Nott," Theo said, drawing out her married name. "I'm not signing them. I don't want to divorce you."

"Don't want to divorce me?!" Hermione cried incredulously "Theo you LEFT me!" Forgetting where she was Hermione allowed herself to let the tears that she long ago swore to never let him see gather in her eyes.

Seeing her cry made Theo's shoulders sag. The silly bint actually thought that he had left her by choice. "Please don't do that, 'Mione. Don't cry, not over me. I left you that night because I was told that our marriage wasn't valid and that in accordance with my betrothal contract that you could be cursed. We both know Thoros dabbled in the...ah...less than fluffy side of magic and there was no knowing what kind of hexes he had put on the contract. Had I known that he was less than truthful..."

Hermione, who was now full out sobbing, said "You would have what, Theo? Stayed? Not left me with a note on my pillow that said 'I'm sorry I'm a coward' and skived off into the night like the slimy Slytherin you are? Not broken my heart into a million tiny pieces with a single wedding announcement? And surely you wouldn't have single handedly obliterated any self-esteem I thought that I may have had by making me love someone who didn't want me?!" Red faced and panting Hermione stared her husband square in the eyes and was happy to see that he at least looked ashamed of himself.

Taking a step towards her, Theo reached out his hand and wiped a tear off of her cheek. "Yes," he breathed, "to all of it. And to so much more. Hell, 'Mione, don't you think it killed me too?"

"It honestly never crossed my mind. You lost the right to my attention when you left and didn't say goodbye." Placing a hand on his chest, Hermione slowly applied pressure to her fingers to push him away.

"Just sign the paperwork Theo. Let me go."

"Never." Theo said simply as he pulled her to him and kissed her with everything that he had.

Hermione would later say that she never responded to this all-out assault on her senses, but her response did come. It was slow, and grudging, but it was there. Who could blame her though, when he smelled the same, and pulled at the base of her hair the same, and brought his other hand up to her lower back to draw lazy, burning circles as he always had? She sighed as he slipped his tongue into her mouth and battled with hers for dominance. It was the taste of her own tears rolling down her face that snapped Hermione back to reality. She was standing in the foyer of Nott Manor snogging her soon-to-be-ex-husband while asking him to sign divorce paperwork in the same breath.

Breaking the kiss as abruptly as it started, Hermione took a step back. "Just sign them." She said as she slapped the file containing her request for a divorce down on the side table in the foyer and spun around and stepped into the Floo with tears flowing freely down her face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros Studios. All original characters and plot are my own, I gain nothing financially from this work.

"Hermione."

"No."

"Hermione."

"Absolutely not, mum."

"Hermione Jean Granger you tell me this instant why you outright refuse to speak to this boy, who might I add had been here for DAYS. Just because I'm not a witch doesn't mean I can't kick your skinny bum all the way out of my house."

Hermione rolled her eyes heavenward and sighed. She adored her mum, she did, but the brunette bookworm had not gotten her stubborn tenacity out of thin air, and sometimes being on the receiving end of it was utterly exhausting. Admitting defeat, she hauled herself to her feet and slowly began her way out of her childhood bedroom and down the stairs of her family home. The sight that greeted her at the bottom would have been laughable had she not been so frustrated. There, in a ruffled heap of wizard's robes and her mum's afghan, was the very source of her current irritation.

Sending a mild stinging hex at him, she grinned at his outraged cry.

"Good morning to you too, your highness. I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come down from your tower." At the threatening wiggle of her wand still in hand, Blaise shot to his feet and held his palms up to her in mercy. "Be kind, Hermione. You know I hate sleeping in that chair."

Nodding her head, Hermione cocked her head to the side and waited for the explanation she knew was coming as to his persistent presence in her mother's home.

Rolling his eyes, Blaise finally exclaimed "Well it's not like you're speaking to the rest of them is it?!" Before collapsing back into her father's favorite recliner and let out a huff.

"That still doesn't explain why you're here, eating my mother out of house and home and holding her living room as ransom in this hostile takeover." Hermione knew she was fighting a losing battle, she wasn't stupid. She knew that if her friends sent Blaise to appease her that they really were serious about trying to force her and that insufferable twat to reconcile. It was really unfair of them all, if you asked her, to use her mother as her weakness. Blaise was Helen's favorite, and she would side with him on anything, refusing to believe he had anything but her daughter's best interest at heart. It's not like she was angry, per se, she just wasn't ready to face the truth in the faces of her friends that in order to get past Theo she would need to  _speak_  to Theo.

"You know why I'm here, kitten. They're worried about you. Especially after the gasket you blew at the ministry when you stormed off the job." Blaise said, raising his eyebrows in her direction, hoping for some kind of explanation. "Ginny says Patricia and Marjorie were in tears at the flat for almost two hours. They were only trying to help you see it from a Pureblood's point of view. Divorce is kind of a big deal for us."

Hermione also recognized the accuracy of this statement. She had held her quarterly review with Patricia Goyle and Marjorie Flint at the MLE office and it had gotten completely out of hand. Patricia had mentioned that she had seen Narcissa and had tried to explain to Hermione that the woman was absolutely distraught over the thought of one of the children she considered her own having a failed marriage. That was all it had taken for Hermione to go completely mental. Not only did she vehemently, and  _loudly_ , state that no matter what Narcissa said, she was divorcing her hell-spawn of a husband, but she also blew up a desk as she stormed out stating her desire to never see either woman again. While it wasn't her proudest moment, Hermione was still quite impressed with her control of her magic through her fury, still thankful that her aim had not missed and her  _Reducto_  hit its intended target and not one of the women sitting in front of it.

"Blaise I'm just so tired. Of all of it." Hermione's eyes welled up with tears as she flopped back into the sofa cushions. "I wish he was here." She said gesturing to her father's chair, "He always knew what to do in sticky situations."

Nodding, Blaise said "I can't believe it's already been a year. The time flew by." As odd as the pairing seemed, Blaise had been very close with Richard Granger, and had taken his death the year prior just as hard as the family, spending long hours with both Helen and Hermione trying to sort everything out. He still came by to see Helen weekly, and kept a standing lunch date once a month at Richard's grave, which not even Hermione knew about.

"So, has he signed them yet?" Hermione said, almost conversationally, trying desperately not to dwell on her father.

Barking out a laugh Blaise said, "You know he hasn't. Nor is he going to. No matter how many howlers you send him."

"But WHY?" Hermione whined, already feeling the sparks starting at her fingertips as she began her rant, seemingly unaware of the dark haired man that her mother was currently ushering in through the front door. "He  _broke_  me, Blaise! It took me almost a year to even be able to look at myself in the mirror. He promised me a lifetime of being loved, cherished even. He vowed to protect me from any harm and to be by my side always. Little did I know that always was less than six months and at the first sign of trouble he left and never looked back. Why d'you think it took so long for me to agree to date Anthony? He was absolutely a wanker but he never promised to give me something that he couldn't." Hermione slumped back into the cushions and dissolved into tears and Blaise looked over her head and into the doorway, where Theo stood watching, completely shell-shocked.

"You can go, Blaise. I know he's there, I felt the wards shift. Mum probably needs help in the kitchen." Hermione sighed dejectedly and tried to brace herself for the confrontation she was about to have with her husband. "You," she said pointing to Theo, "sit."

Doing as he was told, for maybe the first time in their long history, Theo perched himself on the edge of the chair that Blaise had just vacated.

"I'm giving you five minutes to say your peace. I will listen to your side of things, but you will not change my mind. Our marriage is very over, and that is not something that I'm willing to negotiate on."

Clearing his throat, Theo looked into her eyes, those honey brown eyes that he loved to get lost in, that turned a delicious chocolate when she was angry, and simply said "You're right."

Raising her eyes to meet his green orbs, she stared at him incredulously. "I'm what?"

"Right, Hermione. I won't say it again, and I'm taking this as my time to explain myself." He stared at her for a moment, willing her not to speak as he prepared to continue. At the slight nod of her head, he pulled out her divorce contract, creased and crumpled after having been read so many times, and signed his name without any of the normal flourish that she knew came with a Sacred Twenty Eight contract signing.

"I am through hurting you." He said, bowing his head to look at his hands. "I've done nothing to deserve you in my life, and it is selfish of me to try to force you to stay there. I love you with my entire soul, Hermione. I always have, and I'm almost positive that on some level, it has always been you for me. I see now, however, that I've done nothing but cause you harm. I hurt you so badly that I made you believe that I didn't want you any longer. How could such a thing be possible when you are entirely bloody perfect? I don't have a reason for doing what I did other than thinking that I was protecting you. I see now that I did more harm than good." Shaking his head at his own actions, he rose to his feet. "You were right when you said that our marriage is over. It is. But that doesn't mean that I'm done with you. I will do everything in my power to make you see how absolutely precious you are to me, and that begins with the one thing you have ever asked me for - a divorce." Leaning in, he kissed her forehead, and then her cheek as he whispered in her ear "I will win you back, Granger. You can be sure of it." as he apparated straight out of her mother's living room, leaving a confused, crying, and very single Hermione Granger sitting in his wake.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros Studios. All original characters and plot are my own, I gain nothing financially from this work.

Three months, one week, four days, six hours, and twenty seven minutes. That's how long it has been since Theodore Nott did the stupidest thing he could have ever possibly done and given his wife, ex-wife, exactly what she wanted and divorced her.  _Sodding blithering idiot._

Some of their friends thought that when Theo and Hermione finalized their divorce that a great cosmic shift would occur and rock the wizarding world as they knew it. Sadly, no such finality occurred. The two former enemies turned spouses went back to life as they knew it without so much as a hiccup. Hermione returned to the ministry after a mandated sensitivity course and signing of a legal document that stated that she would be personally liable for any other office equipment she chose to blow up. All in all, she considered it a fair price and slipped right back into her routine. That was one of the main things that the former pair had in common, they found comfort in their respective routines. That is why after the signing of their divorce papers they had not seen or corresponded with one another - they never had before, so why start now? Theo's secretary owled her release paperwork directly to the ministry and though he had vowed to win her back, he hadn't the slightest clue as to a starting point, so he just didn't try. He had no excuse for waiting a year after Daphne left him to contact her, not that he had contacted her at all. He wasn't prepared to answer the question that Draco had thrown at him after they finalized their divorce: Had she not ended up in St. Mungo's under his care, would he have ever told her that she was still married to the biggest coward in Wizarding Britain?

* * *

Six months, two weeks, six days, twelve hours, and four minutes. That's how long after the finalization of her divorce that Hermione Granger took to stop feeling sorry for herself and move out of the flat that she shared with Pansy and Ginny. Ginny and Blaise had started dating some months prior and while it was new, Hermione could already tell that it was serious between the two and she wanted to be completely out from under foot by the time they decided their future plans, especially since Pansy was already working on turning Hermione's bedroom into a design room for her clothing sketches, and had her eye on Ginny's as well.

_Another Slytherin Gryffindor whirlwind romance, it's like they've drugged us all,_ she snorted as she shrunk the last of her belongings and placed them into her treasured beaded bag. Brushing the curls back from her forehead that was sticky with perspiration, Hermione took one last look around her room to ensure she had forgotten nothing. Taking a deep breath and putting on a  _just_ too wide smile, she stepped out into the main area where she knew her friends were waiting. "Honestly, you all would think that I'm moving to Constantinople with the way you lot are pouting about." she said, gladly accepting the wine glass that Pansy handed her.

Mumbling from inside his glass Ron snorted and said "Might as well be Hermione. Now that you don't live with one of us we'll never see you. You spend all of your time with your lover  _the Ministry._ "

Hands on hips, Hermione said "Honestly you are so dramatic." Moving around to stand directly next to her old friend she said, not unkindly, "Besides, I've taken a roommate, d'you think you'd be alright seeing Luna again on short notice?"

She couldn't help the smirk that spread across her face as she watched Ron splutter into his drink and Harry thump him hard on the back to get him breathing again. Both Ginny and Pansy had known about their longtime girlfriend moving in with Hermione, but the brunette had insisted on secrecy.

"How could you do this to me Hermione?! You know what she did to me..." Hermione was somewhat disconcerted by the hurt in Ron's face. She had thought he'd be pleased.

Sighing, Hermione set her hand on Ron's shoulder and said, "Oh, Ron, I truly thought that you'd be happy. Luna has been talking about you nonstop since we signed on to the lease and I figured that maybe since I could forgive...Theo...that maybe you could forgive her. We were all so young, after all."

"But Hermione, have you forgiven him?" Blaise piped up, suddenly interested in the conversation. Theo, while having no problem switching back into his routine, was a shell shocked mess of a man after everything that had happened.

Taking a fortifying breath and a deep pull of her drink, Hermione leveled a look at Blaise. "I think I have. I'll never, ever, forget what he's done but how can I continue to hate him for falling back on a vow he made when he was eighteen years old? He did right by me as far as I'm concerned and gave me the separation and peace that I so desperately needed. I think I will always miss what we had, but for all I know we'd be divorced by now had we stayed together all those years ago. I only wish...well, I only wish that he'd kept his word when he said we could try again. It's a bit selfish of me but we wasted so much time..." Finishing with a shrug and assuming the conversation was over, she picked up her bag and made her way to the Floo.

The slamming of a glass on the table made the world stop as Harry Potter, savior of the Wizard World, fell to his knees.

"Salazar's saggy ballsack, Potter, did her words move you to action? What is wrong with you?" Draco drawled from in front of the raven haired man. "Brightest witch of her age says something moderately pretentious masked as profound and -"

"Draco."

" - and you hit your knees like she's the bloody messiah. Not that I don't adore you Granger, really but - "

"DRACO."

" - wasted time? Really? That's what we're going on about because Theo couldn't get the bollocks to talk to you after he and Daphne split and is now too ashamed of himself to try? Honestly you Gryffindors - "

"MALFOY, you insufferable twat, will you marry me?" A red faced Harry said through clenched teeth.

" - what?" Draco said, suddenly aware of the quiet giggles coming from the women in the room and the shaking of both Ron and Blaise's shoulders as they tried to contain their laughter.

"Marry me, you intolerable, cranky, amazing bouncing ferret. I don't want to waste any more time, so I guess you could say that 'Mione's little soliloquy did move me to action." he said, rising from his position on the floor to fish through the pocket of his denims.

"You'll pay for that ferret remark, Potter."

"Forever, though?" Harry said, handing over a small black velvet box which housed a simple but elegant silver band.

"Yes, forever."

"Then I suppose I'll suffer in peace."

Their friends roared in cheers as Hermione, and surprisingly  _Blaise_ _ **,**_ burst into tears of happiness as they all clamoured to congratulate the two on their engagement.

One by one the friends stepped into the Floo to Hermione's cottage to continue their celebration. Upon arrival they were all treated to the sight of a red-faced Ron Weasley have a Luna Lovegood tearfully jump into his arms and snog him senseless.

* * *

One year, two months, seventeen days, four hours, and thirteen minutes after Harry and Draco got engaged found Hermione at another Slytherin and Gryffindor wedding. Her year had been chock full with first Harry and Draco's nuptials, and now that of Blaise and Ginny. She had seen Theo a few times, first through the mess that was planning a Malfoy wedding, and then again through the planning for the Zabini wedding. Both Draco and Blaise had had a sensitive, yet very serious, conversation with her telling her that no matter how much they loved her, as Draco had put it " _we had Theo first, so you'll have to just suck it up, I'm the bride."_

The morning of Ginny and Blaise's wedding was lovely, but that did next to nothing to calm the fiery redhead's nerves.

"Oh Godric Hermione, I can't do this. Get me out of here!" Ginny, dressed in a stunning white ball gown, nearly screamed as her friend tried in vain to pin the last of the red head's hair into a chignon.

"Ginerva Weasley stop that this instant. You love Blaise and you know it." The exasperated brunette stamped her foot in frustration and took a calming breath.

"I know I do...but I'm scared, 'Mione." Ginny mumbled as her eyes filled to the brim with tears.  _Thank Merlin for sticking charms_ she thought wryly.

"I have an idea..." Hermione started, catching her friend's eye and quirking her eyebrow.

With a gasp, Ginny jumped up and rushed over to the wireless. "Dance party!" she practically squealed, quickly finding an upbeat muggle song that both girls shamelessly knew all of the words to.

That was how Theo found his soon to be best friend in law and his ex-wife. Dancing like maniacs and singing at the top of their lungs. He was helpless not to notice how beautiful Hermione looked in the strapless black dress which hit just above her knees that Ginny had picked for her bridesmaids. As he leaned on the door frame with a small smile on his face, he couldn't help but be struck by the words of the song the girls were singing and get sucked into a memory of them doing the same thing on the morning of a very different wedding.

" **And if you close your eyes, does it almost feel that nothing's changed at all.**

**And if you close your eyes, does it almost feel as you've been here before.**

**How am I gonna be an optimist about this**?"

_"OOH YEAH I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING I THINK YOU'LL UNDERSTAND." Hermione, clad in Theo's Slytherin jumper giggled as she jumped down from the bed and sang into her hairbrush as Ginny did the same._

_"OH YEAH I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING, I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAAAAAAAAND." Ginny's face was as red as her hair from laughing as she and her friend danced around her room which they had held Hermione's bachelorette slumber party in the night before. "I can't believe you're getting married today 'Mione...and to Theodore Nott!" Ginny flopped onto her bed with a huff as her brunette friend stopped her manic movements and looked at her thoughtfully._

_"You know...I can, as barmy as that sounds. I think a part of me always knew it would be him. I dunno, the marriage isn't the important part to me...it's the him part. Theo's like...Christmas morning, you know? Exciting and familiar and...home." Hermione said with a shrug. "Now, get your bony ginger arse up and help me get the jitters out!" she all but screamed as she whipped her hair around to change the song, only to see her husband to be leaning in the doorway barely suppressing his laughter._

_"Morning love...Weaselette." Theo said with a nod. His formality was an effort in futility as he was still shaking with laughter. Watching the two women try to look dignified with bed head and oversized sleep clothing was something he wouldn't soon forget, and a memory he'd probably always cherish. Hermione looked...in a word...divine in his Slytherin colors, though he'd never tell her because that meant she would never wear it again, though he secretly suspected that she knew exactly what wrapping herself in green and silver did to him, as she always giggled when his eyes damn near bugged out of his skull._

_"You know, Theo, gentlemen don't spy on women before they're decent." Hermione said with hands on hips, clearly trying to save face as her cheeks flamed red with embarrassment._

_With a snort, Ginny said "Please 'Mione we're rarely decent. The way I see it Nott, you have two options here. The first, leave and help mum set up the dining room. The second, come in, shut the door, and dance your face off with us." She flashed a grin at Hermione, thinking that Theo would never in a million years do something as undignified as dance, but she was to be proven wrong by this new, soon to be married, Theodore Nott._

_With a roll of his eyes, he slammed the door and grabbed Hermione around her waist laughing gallantly and yelling along with the music "I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAAAAAAAAAND."_

* * *

With a sigh at a lifetime lost, Theo knocked twice in the door frame and waited for the girls to gather themselves before entering the room fully. Gaze skimming over Ginny, he leveled his full stare on Hermione and said "You both look lovely. I hate to break up the pre-ceremony ritual, but it's time."

Hermione couldn't understand the flush she felt at being caught again dancing like a fool by Theo. He had promised her that he would win her back, but now after a year of radio silence from him, she took it as just something somebody says to ease the ache of separation and nothing more, which made her heart ache in ways that she couldn't properly deal with at her best friend's wedding.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros Studios. All original characters and plot are my own, I gain nothing financially from this work.
> 
> Smut ahead, if it's not your thing, skip ahead after the wedding.

The ceremony went off without a hitch. Ginny was the quintessential beautiful bride, and Blaise had tears in his eyes as he said "I do." The couple was radiating happiness as their best friends stood on either side of the altar, but were unable to take their eyes off of one another, both of them lost in memories.

At the reception, both Theo and Hermione drank their fill of champagne and firewhiskey, but were still the dutiful best man and maid of honor, keeping prying relatives away from the newlyweds and drunken shenanigans to a minimum, something that proved difficult when a well-imbibed Draco Malfoy-Potter felt that the lighting in the reception was better than that at his own and told anyone who would listen,  _loudly_ , that the bride's dress made her look like she was "in the family way."

Hermione sat at the head table, amber eyes drifting over the room at her assembled friends and extended family. As she glanced back to her own place, a fresh flute of champagne was placed in front of her and her ex-husband flopped into the seat next to her. It had always been his tell when he'd had too much to drink, he lost almost all of the pureblood grace in his movements and acted like an actual young man - rough and gangly.

"Brought this for you." He ground out as he perched in his chair. "Looked like you could use it. Salazar knows I do."

Having drank more than she was used to, but not so much that she felt out of control she smiled softly and accepted the drink. "It's all a little surreal." waving a hand around the room. "Makes me remember." She didn't know what made her say it, but he would swear later that it had nothing to do with the drink.

"Mmm." He nodded and took a deep pull of his drink. "Ours was better. Our...everything was better."

Silently, she nodded. Tears sprang to her eyes and she knew immediately that she had wronged this man, no matter that he had wronged her as well. Her heart ached for him in a way she hadn't felt in many years and she had no idea how to proceed. "Maybe it could be again." Her eyes were hopeful as they tried to meet his.

In a flash he had her upper arm in a vice like hold and his voice was fierce. "I can be civil with you Granger, and play nicey nice as our friends put us in unbearably awkward situations, but don't you dare tempt me with words you don't mean." Realizing himself, he loosened his grip and sighed, smoothing his hand over her shoulder, "I don't know that I could take it."

Neither knew who leaned for the other first, but before Hermione could take a breath his lips were on hers and she was sighing his name. She realized now that he tasted like the memory of home long after you've left it. Gathering all of her Gryffindor courage, lips still sealed together, she apparated them out of the reception venue and straight to her cottage as she knew Luna was staying at Ron's for the evening.

* * *

Legs slamming to the ground, the two seemed to have been hit with a sobering spell for the ages. Staring at Theo, it was all Hermione could do not to cry. "Hermione..." he began carefully.

"Theo I was wrong."

"You were...what?"

"Wrong. I shouldn't have...Merlin I was just so angry...I shouldn't have ever let you let me go."

"Wha...huh?" He stared at her through wide eyes. This couldn't possibly be happening. He'd thought the best that could come from this would be a goodbye shag but now...could she really want to?

"I'm still glad that we got divorced." She began "It needed to happen, that chapter is over and I needed the closure so badly. But now, gods Theo, now I just need you."

Throwing all thought to the repercussions to the wind, Theo grabbed her around her middle and slammed his mouth down on hers as he carried her into her bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him.

* * *

Her hands shook as she divested him of his jacket, his lips on her neck and his hands…everywhere. Hermione had no idea what she wanted out of this moment but all she knew was that she needed… _more._  More of him, more of this feeling, more of everything and nothing at the same time. It had never been like this, frenzied, or maybe it had and she had let time fog her memories of him and… _this_.

Theo couldn't believe his luck. He slid the zipper on the back of her dress down and as it pooled at her feet his mind went blank. She was perfect…she was  _still_  perfect. Dropping a quick kiss to her lips he pressed his forehead to hers and said "This is probably going to be quick, love."

Quirking her lips she smiled triumphantly as she popped the clasp on his dress slacks and primly said "Quick never meant bad, Theodore."

At her teasing tone and the way that his name tumbled off of her tongue he was  _utterly finished._ Teasingly biting the juncture of her neck and shoulder, he growled as he picked her up and slammed her against her bedroom wall, thrusting his fingers into her hair and sliding into her welcoming heat with one deep thrust.

At that moment, the same thought flitted through both minds, perhaps for the first time in almost seven years.

_I'm home._

* * *

The next morning, Theo awoke fully rested for the first time in what felt like his entire life. The sun streaming through the window had been what had woken him, and when he reached for his bedfellow, the other side of the mattress was cool to his touch. Smirking, he recalled another morning where he was left sated and reaching for his bookish ex-wife.

" _Knock knock Sleeping Beauty, you'd better be decent." Ron Weasley poked his head into the room that Theo and Blaise shared at Grimmauld Place with just enough time to hear Theo shout._

" _Oi! Weasley get your ginger arse out of here!" Theo, barely awake, scrambled to cover the naked and sleeping brunette next to him._

" _Not sure who you're frantically trying to cover up there mate, but she was in your dream, there's nobody there." Ron said, laughing._

" _Not there, what - " Theo patted his mattress and flopped onto his back with a huff. "Trust me Weasley, she wasn't a dream."_

_Inspecting his fingernails, Ron scoffed and said "Whatever you say, Nott. C'mon though, something's got 'Mione in a tizzy and she's made about eighteen different kinds of breakfast - a casualty of spending so much time with mum, I reckon. She's made enough to feed an army. Guess she is, when you think about it - "_

_Theo smirked, not listening as Weasley trailed off onto his tangent about armies of breakfast foods. Knowing that he had riled the bookworm warmed him through his bones. They'd finally come together last night after almost a year of verbal sparring their way around one another. Last night, she'd slammed a map of Goyle Manor down in front of him and given him the verbal lashing of the century for failing to account for the anti-Muggleborn wards at the property lines that had resulted in Justin Finch-Fletchly nearly losing his arm. While he knew that he'd royally fucked his mission, he couldn't take his eyes off of her lips, and moved closer to her with every word she screamed at him. When she'd paused to take a breath before further berating his "stupid, spoiled, pure rotten blood" he'd slammed his mouth down on hers and hadn't taken it off until well into the night when she fell asleep on his chest, snugly wrapped in his embrace._

" _\- I am worried about 'Mione though, the last time she cooked like this Malfoy went missing -"_

" _Nothing's missing, except for that beloved stick up her arse." Theo said, smirking at Weasley_

" _How would YOU know? It's not like you know her better than I do Nott, what do you mean stick up her ars - OI! YOU SHAGGED MIONE! HARRY - IT'S FINALLY HAPPENED MATE, YOU OWE ME TEN GALLEONS!" Ron bellowed into the corridor, the response to which was a distinctly feminine squawk from Hermione in the kitchen and a barking laugh from Theo's bedroom._

Unsurprisingly, Theo found Hermione in the kitchen. Chuckling, he made his way fully into the kitchen, mentally capturing the image of her in her short navy bathrobe with an apron over it, hair a riotous mess with flour on her face. She was adorable, and everything he needed in his life.

"Oh! Ah, good morning!" She said, just  _too_  cheerfully as she pulled a ridiculously large baking dish from the oven. "Hungry?"

Dropping a kiss to the side of her head he simply nodded and reached for the coffee mugs on the counter, knowing that it would be better to let her sort out her thoughts before trying to articulate any of his.

Flushing at his kiss, Hermione moved the French toast dish to her dining room table which was already laden with three kinds of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, fruit, and something that looked like it used to be eggs benedict.

Tucking in, he watched her, and waited.

"We need to talk." She finally stammered out around a mouthful of scrambled eggs.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros Studios. All original characters and plot are my own, I gain nothing financially from this work.

Theo munched on his toast, waiting for Hermione to toss him out of her cottage. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but shagging his ex-wife and then staying for brunch certainly wasn't it, so he sat waiting for her to re-gain her senses and kick his sorry arse to the curb.

Hermione, true to her history of never reacting the way he expected her to, said "So, er...I suppose I should apologize then."

A raised eyebrow was the only answer she received from her breakfast companion. Feeling a jolt of fear in her chest, she stumbled to apologize again. "Merlin, Theo, I am so sorry for dumping all of that on you. I completely took advantage of an already emotional night and I have wanted to speak with you for so long but how does one even approach that? There was certainly no time to talk during Harry and Draco's planning - Merlin all those peacocks, the Freudian undertones alone -"

Her rambling was cut off by joyful, uproarious laughter. Theo's entire face was crimson and tears were leaking from the corners of his eyes as his shoulders shook. "Gods, woman, I have missed your rambling."

At her squawk, Theo continued "You didn't honestly think that I was upset did you? Hermione, last night was…. _everything_  to me. I couldn't be angry at you even if you had branded my bare arse with your wand with  _Class A Prat_."

"That option is still on the table." she muttered, tucking her head so she wouldn't need to explain away tears of relief, making her way to the kitchen followed by an army of floating bakeware.

Following her into the kitchen, Theo crowded in behind Hermione at the sink where she was furiously wiping at her face. "Hermione...sweetheart did you honestly think that I didn't want last night to happen? Or that I'd somehow  _blame_  you like it was a bad thing?" Placing his hands on the counter, effectively caging her in, Theo placed his chin on her shoulder and waited.

Her voice was clogged with tears as she said, "I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to hope." His heart hurt to hear her voice so small, because he'd been a prat -  _again_. He'd been too cavalier with her this morning, forgetting the momentous shift in their relationship the night before had caused. He'd been so focused on the feeling of being home that she provided him that their entire history seemed to blur past him.

"Sweetheart if it's anybody who was afraid to hope it was me. After what I've done...how could you ever…" he shook his head as she turned, peering up at him.

"Theodore Nott, it has always been you. I know that now, and well...if you'll have me…"

"Fuck, Granger.  _If you'll have me_  of COURSE I'll have you, you daft woman. Let's go, Floo Potter we'll get married today…."

"Oh…" she trailed off, sheepishly

"Oh?" Theo cocked an eyebrow and stared at her, his heart plummeting into his gut.

"I didn't...no. No to getting married today. I thought maybe...no. I  _know_  that you will take me on a proper date, Theo. At a  _nice_  restaurant. And I will order something wickedly expensive and drink far too much good wine. It's the  _least_  you could do after what you've put me through."

Feeling somewhat hurt that she didn't want to be whisked away and remarried, though, he  _supposed he-sort-of-knew-where-she-was-coming-from_ , he smirked. "So you won't marry me without a date? I'm wounded, Granger."

"I won't marry you without a lot of things, Nott, I suppose it's a feeling you should get used to." she smirked.

Groaning, Theo picked her up and set her on the counter, sealing his lips over hers. It was always  _that tone_  that did him in. One step above sass and one below insolence - he was finished. Pecking her on the lips he quirked his lips and said "If the lady requires a date, she will have a proper date. However since we have about 9 hours between then and now, I've some groveling to do."

With that, Theo hit his knees in front of Hermione and proceeded to  _grovel_  well into the early afternoon

* * *

Wiping the fog away from the mirror, Hermione smiled at her reflection. She couldn't believe that she was going on a first date with Theodore Nott -  _again_. The peace she felt having him near her was tangible, and she would be lying if she said that the sex had gotten worse. Charming her hair dry, she donned her navy blue robe and called out to Theo, letting him know that the shower was his. Not hearing a reply, she rounded the corner into her dining area with just enough time to see a red-faced Draco Malfoy-Potter pull back his fist and slam it right into his best friend's face.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros Studios. All original characters and plot are my own, I gain nothing financially from this work.

Theo awoke to the strange sound of buzzing in an  _incredibly_  uncomfortable position on what appeared to be a bargain bin version of a fake leather sofa. Running a hand over his face and feeling his tender jaw,  _Draco_ , he looked around the small waiting room he found himself in. The walls were covered in brightly colored framed drawings, with seemingly no theme other than their stylistic beauty. The room was clean, but Theo couldn't for the  _life_  of him figure out where in the hell he was. Hearing a decidedly high-pitched yelp coming from the depths of the office, he decided that now was better than never to explore his surroundings and figure out how in the hell to get back to Hermione in time for their date. Rounding the partition, Theo couldn't help but smirk evilly at what he saw as he leaned against the corner.

Standing with her arms crossed and foot tapping, faint sparks shooting out every time her shoe met the linoleum stood Hermione Granger; red faced and spitting venom at Draco Malfoy as he laid out shirtless on a black table, while a stranger held some sort of buzzing device to his ribs as Draco cursed foully.

"Honest to Godric Malfoy, what is  _wrong_  with you! Are you suddenly Crabbe and Goyle? Fisticuffs first and questions second? You  _knocked him out cold_ \- "

"OUCH!  _Sweet Salazar_  Granger, how was I supposed to know you'd intending on doing more than just shagging him? I Floo'd in, saw him standing there shirtless and smug -  _The lady of the house is rather indisposed, Malfoy; what can I assist you with today, Malfoy_ \- fucking wanker and - "

"NO reason. Draco! It's taken us years to get back to this point and - "

"BLOODY HELL! You know the least you could do is hold my hand while you yell at me Hermione, there  _is_  a protocol we usually follow and whatever you picked fucking hurts - "

"PROTOCOL? How about this for protocol - you don't Floo into my home and you don't suckerpunch my husband! And it should hurt! It's huge!"

"Husband?" Theo interrupted, clearing his throat and stepping further into the room, trying, and failing to see what the stranger was doing to Draco's ribs.

"Oh sweet merciful Merlin do not even start with me Theodore Nott." Hermione growled, whirling around and stamping her foot, sparks shooting in every direction.

"I'm just saying, love, it's an interesting slip of the tongue for someone who claims to have no interest in being my bride."

"Don't forget the most important word, Theo.  _Again_. I've no interest in being your bride,  _again._ " she said, rolling her eyes and turning back to Draco as Theo ambled up behind her, tentatively wrapping an arm around her front.

Kissing the back of her head, he murmured, "So how much trouble are we in then?"

Smirking as she looked at him over her shoulder she said, "As you're new to this Hermione-Draco ritual, you've gotten off scot-free. This time. You don't get to infringe on this time honored tradition and not be required to participate at  _some_ point, I mean - wait, I'm spiraling. To answer your question, Draco here is in for an entire side-piece."

 _What the bloody hell is a side piece?_  Theo wondered, slightly alarmed on behalf of his best friend though the twat had almost broken his jaw a few short hours ago.

Growling through his teeth, Draco grit out from the table "This is a tattoo parlour, idiot - OI! Hit that spot one more time and I'll punch you too, Terry!"

The tattoo artist, by Theo's standards a frankly terrifying gentleman, grinned as he dug his needle a little further into Draco's side, pretending to be oblivious to the blonde's discomfort as he hummed along to the radio.

"Would anyone care to explain what exactly I've walked in to here?" Theo said, rubbing a hand behind his neck as he looked around.

"These two come in ev'ry so offen an' pick tattoos for each otha." Terry grunted, "Din't expect to see 'em back 'ere so soon, but who is ol' Terry to complain?"

With wide eyes Theo looked from Draco to Hermione, and back. "All of those…" he gestured vaguely to Hermione's form, " _he_  picked?"

Nodding once, nostrils flaring, Hermione hummed in the affirmative. "And I've all of his. Except the bloody Dark Mark, but that's what started this all in the first place…." trailing off, she looked at Draco's pained expression as she murmured to Theo, "though I do feel a bit bad about this one…"

"Bit bad?" Draco yelped, "What does she mean  _a bit bad_? Terry mate, what's she gone and picked for me this time?" Draco said, craning his neck to try to see down his side as Terry tutted and huffed at all of his wiggling.

"Now, now, Mista Drake, you know the rules - no peekin', not til yer finished."

As Draco continued to protest,  _loudly_ , Theo steered Hermione away from the chaos that was an inconvenienced Malfoy and asked, "What's he gone and picked for you this time?"

"Hm? Oh," Hermione distractedly pulled down the shoulder of her, he realized with a start,  _his_  jumper to bare her shoulder, and the cluster of purple hyacinths there. "As he didn't already bumble through an apology, now he's gone and done it permanently." she said with a roll of her eyes.

Moving back towards the lobby that Theo had awoken in, she sat on the sofa, eyes softening, "how's your jaw?"

"Bruised, like my pride." he quipped, leaning against the reception desk. "Who knew the little blighter had it in him, honestly?"

Hm-ing another laugh, Hermione eyed him. "So, about tonight…"

"Oh no you don't Hermione Jean, you're not cancelling our date."

"Well, Theo, I think I am."

Feeling tears prick at his eyes,  _bloody head injury_ , Theo charged up to her, fire in his eyes as he growled at her, "And what -  _pray tell_  - is so important that you feel it's necessary to outright cancel something we both want? Who wins over me this time, Granger?"

"Hermione Nott." she murmured, distractedly.

Totally deflating, Theo blinked once. Twice. "I'm sorry, wha - "

"I don't want to go on a date with you tonight, Theodore Nott. I want to marry you tonight. I know what I said earlier but, frankly, I don't want to wait. Seeing you knocked out cold scared the ever loving shite out of me, and I don't want to be apart, especially if you're going to keep doing things to get yourself injured, Theo, honestly…." she laughed, "There's so many reasons not to but," she shrugged, "the most important reason to do it is staring at me like a crazy person right now. Say something, Theo."

"Well...I...what if I say no?"

Laughing, with narrowed eyes, "Excuse me?  _You're_  saying no?"

"Yes! Well, no. I'm saying...I don't know what I'm saying, Hermione have you lost your bleeding mind?!"

Chuckling, she leaned forward and placed a kiss to his bruised jaw, his furrowed brown, and finally, agonizingly slow, she kissed him full on his lips before she breathed, "Marry me, Theo."

Before he could say another word, or Apparate them back to her flat so he could truly show her what he thought of her idea, an enraged, red faced Draco Malfoy appeared, still shirtless around the partition.

"A FERRET, GRANGER?! YOU HONESTLY HAD ME PERMANENTLY SCARRED WITH A BLOODY FUCKING FERRET?!"

"If you want to get technical he's actually the Incredible Bouncing Ferret…" she murmured to Theo with a grin. Barking out a startled laugh, he sealed his lips over hers again before Apparating them both straight into Kingsley's office, startling the utter bejeezus out of his undersecretary, Percy Weasley.

_**Fin** _


End file.
